Fantastic Four: First Steps

The Fantastic Four are some of the most beloved characters in the Marvel roster, and as I sat down in my IMAX screening, the excitement that had been building for months became almost unbearable. This film was my most anticipated of the year and let me tell you, with all my heart, it did not disappoint! This film is a gorgeous and deep love letter to not only the rich characters it’s adapting but also a celebration of the original works of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. The setting of an alternate 60s places the team in a world that frees them from the baggage of the established MCU canon, and allows them to thrive in their own story before they’re thrust into the multiverse shenanigans of the MCU Multiverse saga.

However, none of this film would work without the pitch perfect chemistry between the core cast. Pedro Pascal absolutely embodies Reed in a way we haven’t seen before. We see Reed’s constant need to fix everything and prepare for anything that may come and its perfectly balanced with his obsession with protecting those he loves. This is supported effortlessly by Vanessa Kirby’s performances as Sue Storm, she is absolutely the heart of this film. She brings such a level of care and love to the role, its so clear she’s absolutely passionate about Sue as a character, providing the film with a much needed emotional anchor, especially for a film of this scale.

Joseph Quinn’s performance as Johnny Storm is one of the most surprising of the film. His energy is on point, and he brings a level of intelligence that we haven’t seen from Johnny in any other adaptation. He contributes a lot of key plot developments, and you really feel his connection to the rest of the four. The real soul of the film, however, is Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. Not only is the insanely accurate to the character with his Jewish heritage and his Yancy street origins, but it’s also accurate to the emotional turmoil Ben feels. There are a lot of quiet moments where Ben reflects on his life before the four and his torment being what he is. What the film gets, however, is that this is his fuel for being the soul of the team. Ben is constantly providing emotional support and is always caring for the team, never questioning them, never criticising them, it’s absolute trust and support. I love the cast synergy and how much you feel they are a true family. It really makes them stand out amongst the other superhero teams in the MCU.

I’d also like to give a shoutout to both Julia Garner as Shalla-Ball/Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as Galactus. They provide a menacing presence in the story and act as a ticking clock for the main four to figure out the problem. Constantly adding pressure on them and being a real force to be reckoned with. Julia is a deeply layered antagonist, with a lot of motivation that I will avoid due to spoilers. Ralph Ineson is a true cosmic force, his voice booming through the IMAX speakers and making me genuinely scared when we first meet him. The first shot we have of him is genuinely breathtaking, he towers over the team in a way that only the Eternals has attempted but this easily surpasses that.

The VFX team truly cooked with this film, as every shot is almost perfect and the film looks truly breathtaking in various different settings, ranging from the 60s aesthetic to the cosmic corners of space. I was genuinely awestruck at some of the visuals in this film,  something that happens very rarely within the MCU. None of this would be possible without the clear and passionate vision from director Matt Shakman. He clearly understands theses characters and deeply loves them, as this film is such a love letter to their 60s origins. His use of both the camera and the VFX really emphasises the Explorer aspect of the team and shows he understands the core of the team beyond the superheroes.

The film is not without its issues though. The pacing can often feel very fast, sometimes jarring as the film progresses. You can tell that there are some parts they cut out in the edit, I hope they allow an extended cut at some point. The action, whilst incredible, is often few and far between. Though this can be forgiven due to the core of the film being about the characters, not what they can do. As a personal peeve, I would have liked a tiny bit more showcasing of Reed’s intelligence. Not in what he makes but how he solves problems. There is also clearly a lot of the film that was shot but left on the cutting room floor, and this often made the film feel somewhat disjointed and incomplete.

Overall, this film is an absolute triumph. Marvel has clearly put a focus back onto quality and allowed their creatives to truly have a voice within the universe and this film and Thunderbolts are a great step into the right direction. I really hope they can keep up this quality going into the multiverse ending Avengers films, where I can’t wait to see these terrific characters again and to see them interact with the wider MCU.

Please go and see this film in IMAX, I promise you won’t regret it!

9/10